How many days do you need for a Derawan trip?

Four days and three nights covers the full set: the island day on Maratua, Kakaban and Sangalaki, then an early run to the Talisayan whale sharks, Manimbora and Labuan Cermin. The whale sharks are not included in the 3D2N; they are part of the 4D3N.

When is the best time for a Derawan trip?

April to November is the best season, with the sunniest weather; December to March is the wetter period. Within the season no honest operator guarantees a whale shark or manta on a set date; a private boat simply gives you more chances.

Where does a private Derawan trip start and finish?

At Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau, East Kalimantan. Flights are not included, so you book your own connection and the pick-up is arranged around your flight number. Book return flights after 15:00 WITA on the last day; the trip finishes by 14:00 WITA.

What is not included in the Derawan trip price?

Flights, fins, tips and personal expenses. Our Derawan trips are snorkel-based; scuba diving is not included. Transfers, the private speedboat, your stay, meals, snorkel kit, documentation, travel insurance and entrance fees are included.

Is a Derawan trip worth it for two people?

Two is the minimum and the most expensive way per person to book, because two people share the whole boat. The itinerary is identical at every group size, so the extra cost buys exclusivity rather than extra destinations.

Tour Packages · Derawan trip

A private Derawan trip, 3D2N or 4D3N

Your own boat and schedule through 13 destinations, from the Talisayan whale sharks and Sangalaki to Kakaban and Labuan Cermin, starting and ending at Kalimarau Airport.

See the itinerary Plan my Derawan trip

Top-down drone view of a timber pier over blue water at Derawan Island, a person lying on it

Destinations: 13
Two lengths: 3D2N · 4D3N
Minimum travellers: 2
Start and finish: BEJ

The format

Private, two lengths, 13 destinations

The trip runs as 3D2N or 4D3N, and both are private: your group travels on its own boat and its own schedule rather than joining strangers. The minimum is two people, and larger groups pay less each.

The whole trip is boat-based: every day you move between islands, lakes and marine points by speedboat from your base. Tide, sea state and your flight times shift the running order; the destinations stay the same.

Our Derawan trips are snorkel-based; scuba diving is not included. For background on diving or liveaboards in the archipelago, read the guides below.

Speedboat in front of red-roofed over-water cottages

Where you go

The 13 destinations on a Derawan trip

This is what separates a full Derawan trip from a single-island day out. Talisayan and Labuan Cermin sit on the mainland side, which is why the 4D3N handles the full set.

Mainland coast
Talisayan
The whale shark point on the Berau coast.
Island
Maratua
The largest island of the group and the base for several resorts.
Island + lake
Kakaban
The island whose inland lake holds stingless jellyfish.
Island
Sangalaki
The manta ray island, with a turtle conservation site.
Cave
Goa Halo Tabung
A cave-and-water feature on Maratua.
Snorkel site
Manta Point
The dedicated manta encounter point.
Sandbar
Pasir Gusung Sanggalau
A sandbar that appears and disappears with the tide.
Lagoon
Laguna Kehe Daing
The hidden lagoon on Kakaban.
Mirror lake
Labuan Cermin
The two-layer mirror lake on the mainland side.
Island
Derawan Island
The island where the trip is based, reached by speedboat from Tanjung Batu.
Marine point
Dolphins Point
The dolphin stop on the Maratua day.
Conservation
Turtle conservation
The turtle conservation site on Sangalaki.
Islet
Manimbora
The small sand-spit islet visited on the mainland day.

Trip costs

What a Derawan trip costs

On a private trip the price depends on the stay you choose, and larger groups pay less each for the identical itinerary. There is no promotional or "was/now" pricing.

Open Trip Derawan 4D3N

USD 280 per person

VIP USD 300 per person
Minimum 7 guests
Meet at Kalimarau (BEJ)
Standard water cottage
Single room +USD 60

Ask for a quote

Private Trip Derawan

from USD 1,290 total for 2 guests

≈ USD 645 per person, 3D2N, standard tier
4D3N from USD 2,190 for 2 guests
Price depends on the stay you choose

Ask for a quote

Flights to Berau (BEJ) are not included. Every figure is confirmed in writing for your dates before you pay.

Inclusions

What is included and what is not

Anything outside these lists, such as a room type, a dietary need or an extra night, is written line by line into your quotation before you pay.

Included

Car transfer Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) ↔ Tanjung Batu
Private speedboat between the destinations
Water cottage or resort for 2 or 3 nights
Meals: 6 on 3D2N, 9 on 4D3N
Snorkel kit: mask, snorkel, life jacket
Guide and documentation
Travel insurance and entrance fees

Not included

Flights into and out of Kalimarau Airport
Fins
Scuba diving (our Derawan trips are snorkel-based)
Tips and personal expenses

Day by day

The 4D3N Derawan trip itinerary

The running order can shift with tide, sea conditions and your flights, and the team reorders days when the weather demands it.

Day	Focus	Destinations
Day 1	Arrival and transfer	Kalimarau Airport (BEJ), about 2.5 – 3 h by road to Tanjung Batu, about 40 min by speedboat to Derawan, check in, sunset at Pasir Gusung Sanggalau
Day 2	Island hopping	Maratua (Dolphins Point, resort tour, Goa Halo Tabung), Kakaban (Laguna Kehe Daing, jellyfish lake), Sangalaki (Manta Point, turtle conservation)
Day 3	Early start on the mainland side	Talisayan whale sharks, Manimbora, Labuan Cermin (about 6 h round trip)
Day 4	Departure	Transfer back to Kalimarau Airport; book return flights after 15:00 WITA

On 3D2N, day 2 is the same island day; the whale sharks are not included in the 3D2N and are part of the 4D3N. Snorkel gear is used at almost every marine stop, so water confidence matters more than certification.

When to go

April to November, from Kalimarau Airport

The best season is April to November, when the weather is at its sunniest; December to March is the wetter period. The trip begins at Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau, and your pick-up is arranged around your flight number once you confirm.

Whale sharks and mantas are wild animals: nobody can promise a sighting on a set date, but a private boat can wait, return or reorder the day.

How to get to Derawan Derawan via Berau Best time to visit

Jan Rough Reduced
Feb Rough Reduced
Mar Variable Mixed
Apr Calm 20 m+
May Calm 20 m+
Jun Calm 20 m+
Jul Calm 20 m+
Aug Calm 20 m+
Sep Calm 20 m+
Oct Calm 20 m+
Nov Variable 20 m+
Dec Rough Reduced

In season Crossings weather-dependent Sea state · visibility

Where you sleep

3D2N 2 guests, total: USD 2,090 ≈ USD 1,045 / person
4D3N 2 guests, total: USD 6,590 ≈ USD 3,295 / person

Ask about this stay

Private Trip Derawan rates from indonesiajuara.asia: total for two guests, standard tier. Flights to Berau are not included.

Who it suits

Built for breadth, and for groups of four or more

The format works best for groups, because the boat is shared while the itinerary stays identical. Couples can book it, but two people carry the full cost of a private boat between them.

It suits travellers who want breadth: wildlife points, a jellyfish lake, a lagoon, a sandbar and a two-layer lake in three or four days. It suits less a certified diver chasing bottom time, or anyone who wants one base with no daily boat movement.

To book, send your dates, group size, preferred tier and inbound flight if you have it. You receive a written quotation naming the stay and the destinations for your dates; nothing is charged before that.

Snorkeller among golden stingless jellyfish in the Kakaban lake

Answers

Derawan trip questions

All 100 questions

A private Derawan trip starts from USD 1,290 in total for two guests on a 3D2N (standard tier) and from USD 2,190 for a 4D3N. The price depends on the stay, and larger groups pay less each. The Open Trip Derawan 4D3N is USD 280 per person with a minimum of 7 guests.

All 100 questions

Keep exploring

More in Tour Packages

Aerial view of the white sand spit leading to a palm islet at Manimbora, with a speedboat

Plan your trip

Send your dates and group size

We reply with a written quotation: the stay for your dates, the destination list and what is included.

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A private Derawan trip, 3D2N or 4D3N

Private, two lengths, 13 destinations

The 13 destinations on a Derawan trip

Talisayan

Maratua

Kakaban

Sangalaki

Goa Halo Tabung

Manta Point

Pasir Gusung Sanggalau

Laguna Kehe Daing

Labuan Cermin

Derawan Island

Dolphins Point

Turtle conservation

Manimbora

What a Derawan trip costs

What is included and what is not

Included

Not included

The 4D3N Derawan trip itinerary

April to November, from Kalimarau Airport

The stays used on a private Derawan trip

Reza Derawan Resort

Alfit VIP Derawan

Borneo Cottage Maratua

Maratua Paradise Beach Villa

Pratasaba Seheku Lodge

Maratua Paradise Water Villa

Sienna Resort

Arasatu Floating Villa